Wisdom of Solomon 17

Thomson · Brenton · Greek · public domain

Thomson 1808

Brenton 1851

Greek · Brenton

Thomson—

BrentonFor great are thy judgments, and cannot be expressed: therefore unnurtured souls have erred.

GreekΜεγάλαι γάρ σου αἱ κρίσεις καὶ δυσδιήγητοι· διὰ τοῦτο ἀπαίδευτοι ψυχαὶ ἐπλανήθησαν.

Thomson—

BrentonFor when unrighteous men thought to oppress the holy nation; they being shut up in their houses, the prisoners of darkness, and fettered with the bonds of a long night, lay [there] exiled from the eternal providence.

GreekὙπειληφότες γὰρ καταδυναστεύειν ἔθνος ἅγιον ἄνομοι, δέσμιοι σκότους καὶ μακρᾶς πεδῆται νυκτὸς, κατακλεισθέντες ὀρόφοις, φυγάδες τῆς αἰωνίου προνοίας ἔκειντο.

Thomson—

BrentonFor while they supposed to lie hid in their secret sins, they were scattered under a dark veil of forgetfulness, being horribly astonished, and troubled with [strange] apparitions.

GreekΛανθάνειν γὰρ νομίζοντες ἐπὶ κρυφαίοις ἁμαρτήμασιν, ἀφεγγεῖ λήθης παρακαλύμματι ἐσκορπίσθησαν, θαμβούμενοι δεινῶς καὶ ἰνδάλμασιν ἐκταρασσόμενοι.

Thomson—

BrentonFor neither might the corner that held them keep them from fear: but noises [as of waters] falling down sounded about them, and sad visions appeared unto them with heavy countenances.

GreekΟὐδὲ γὰρ ὁ κατέχων αὐτοὺς μυχὸς ἀφόβως διεφύλασσεν, ἦχοι δὲ καταράσσοντες αὐτοὺς περιεκόμπουν, και φάσματα ἀμειδήτοις κατηφῆ προσώποις ἐνεφανίζετο.

Thomson—

BrentonNo power of the fire might give them light: neither could the bright flames of the stars endure to lighten that horrible night.

GreekΚαὶ πυρὸς μὲν οὐδεμία βία κατίσχυε φωτίζειν, οὔτε ἄστρων ἔκλαμπροι φλόγες καταυγάζειν ὑπέμενον τὴν στυγνὴν ἐκείνην νύκτα.

Thomson—

BrentonOnly there appeared unto them a fire kindled of itself, very dreadful: for being much terrified, they thought the things which they saw to be worse than the sight they saw not.

GreekΔιεφαίνετο δʼ αὐτοῖς μόνον αὐτομάτη πυρὰ φόβου πλήρης, ἐκδειματούμενοι δὲ τῆς μὴ θεωρουμένης ἐκείνης ὄψεως, ἡγοῦντο χείρω τὰ βλεπόμενα.

Thomson—

BrentonAs for the illusions of art magic, they were put down, and their vaunting in wisdom was reproved with disgrace.

GreekΜαγικῆς δὲ ἐμπαίγματα κατέκειτο τέχνης, καὶ τῆς ἐπὶ φρονήσει ἀλαζονείας ἔλεγχος ἐφύβριστος.

Thomson—

BrentonFor they, that promised to drive away terrors and troubles from a sick soul, were sick themselves of fear, worthy to be laughed at.

GreekΟἱ γὰρ ὑπισχνούμενοι δείματα καὶ ταραχὰς ἀπελαύνειν ψυχῆς νοσούσης, οὗτοι καταγέλαστον εὐλάβειαν ἐνόσουν.

Thomson—

BrentonFor though no terrible thing did fear them; yet being scared with beasts that passed by, and hissing of serpents,

GreekΚαὶ γὰρ εἰ μηδὲν αὐτοὺς ταραχῶδες ἐφόβει, κνωδάλων παρόδοις καὶ ἑρπετῶν συριγμοῖς ἐκσεσοβημένοι,

Thomson—

Brentonthey died for fear, denying that they saw the air, which could of no side be avoided.

Greekδιώλλυντο ἔντρομοι καὶ τὸν μηδαμόθεν φευκτὸν ἀέρα προσιδεῖν ἀρνούμενοι.

Thomson—

BrentonFor wickedness, condemned by her own witness, is very timorous, and being pressed with conscience, always forecasteth grievous things.

GreekΔειλὸν γὰρ ἰδίως πονηρία μαρτυρεῖ καταδικαζομένη, ἀεὶ δὲ προσείληφε τὰ χαλεπὰ συνεχομένη τῇ συνειδήσει.

Thomson—

BrentonFor fear is nothing else but a betraying of the succours which reason offereth.

GreekΟὐθὲν γάρ ἐστι φόβος, εἰ μὴ προδοσία τῶν ἀπὸ λογισμοῦ βοηθημάτων.

Thomson—

BrentonAnd the expectation from within, being less, counteth the ignorance more than the cause which bringeth the torment.

GreekἜνδοθεν δὲ οὖσα ἥττων ἡ προσδοκία, πλείονα λογίζεται τὴν ἄγνοιαν τῆς παρεχούσης τὴν βάσανον αἰτίας.

Thomson—

BrentonBut they sleeping the same sleep that night, which was indeed intolerable, and which came upon them out of the bottoms of inevitable hell,

GreekΟἱ δὲ τὴν ἀδύνατον ὄντως νύκτα καὶ ἐξ ἀδυνάτου ᾅδου μυχῶν ἐπελθοῦσαν, τὸν αὐτὸν ὕπνον κοιμώμενοι,

Thomson—

Brentonwere partly vexed with monstrous apparitions, and partly fainted, their heart failing them: for a sudden fear, and not looked for, came upon them.

Greekτὰ μὲν τέρασιν ἠλαύνοντο φαντασμάτων, τὰ δὲ τῆς ψυχῆς παρελύοντο προδοσίᾳ· αἰφνίδιος γὰρ αὐτοῖς καὶ ἀπροσδόκητος φόβος ἐπῆλθεν.

Thomson—

BrentonSo then whosoever there fell down was straitly kept, shut up in a prison without iron bars.

GreekΕἶθʼ οὕτως, ὃς δήποτʼ οὖν ἦν ἐκεῖ καταπίπτων, ἐφρουρεῖτο εἰς τὴν ἀσίδηρον εἱρκτὴν κατακλεισθείς.

Thomson—

BrentonFor whether he were husbandman, or shepherd, or a labourer in the field, he was overtaken, and endured that necessity, which could not be avoided: for they were all bound with one chain of darkness.

GreekΕἴτε γὰρ γεωργὸς ἦν τις, ἢ ποιμὴν, ἢ τῶν κατʼ ἐρημίαν ἐργάτης μόχθων, προληφθεὶς τὴν δυσάλυκτον ἔμενεν ἀνάγκην· μιᾷ γὰρ ἁλύσει σκότους πάντες ἐδέθησαν.

Thomson—

BrentonWhether it were a whistling wind, or a melodious noise of birds among the spreading branches, or a pleasing fall of water running violently,

GreekΕἴτε πνεῦμα συρίζον, ἢ περὶ ἀμφιλαφεῖς κλάδους ὀρνέων ἦχος εὐμελὴς, ἢ ῥυθμὸς ὕδατος πορευομένου βίᾳ, ἢ κτύπος ἀπηνῆς καταῤῥιπτομένων πετρῶν,

Thomson—

Brentonor a terrible sound of stones cast down, or a running that could not be seen of skipping beasts, or a roaring voice of most savage wild beasts, or a rebounding echo from the hollow mountains: these things made them to swoon for fear.

Greekἢ σκιρτώντων ζώων δρόμος ἀθεώρητος, ἢ ὠρυομένων ἀπηνεστάτων θηρίων φωνὴ, ἢ ἀντανακλωμένη ἐκ κοιλοτάτων ὀρέων ἠχὼ, παρέλυσεν αὐτοὺς ἐκφοβοῦντα.

Thomson—

BrentonFor the whole world shined with clear light, and none were hindered in their labour:

GreekὍλος γὰρ ὁ κόσμος λαμπρῷ κατελάμπετο φωτὶ, καὶ ἀνεμποδίστοις συνείχετο ἔργοις.

Thomson—

Brentonover them only was spread a heavy night, an image of that darkness which should afterward receive them: but yet were they unto themselves more grievous than the darkness.

GreekΜόνοις δὲ ἐκείνοις ἐπετέτατο βαρεῖα νὺξ, εἰκὼν τοῦ μέλλοντος αὐτοὺς διαδέχεσθαι σκότους, ἑαυτοῖς δὲ ἦσαν βαρύτεροι σκότους.